Located in Seattle, the University of Washington is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities and was ranked as having the best nursing program by "U.S. News & World Report" in 2007. The university offers a bachelor of science degree in nursing. Nursing students take courses in human response, pharmacotherapeutics in nursing practice, and cultural variation and nursing practice, among others. Students who want to finish their degree early can enroll in the university's accelerated bachelor of science in nursing program, which can be completed in a little more than a year. The university also offers a master of science in nursing and a doctor of nursing practice degree for graduate students.
Located in the Bay Area, the University of California at San Francisco is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Ranked as the second best nursing program by "U.S. News & World Report" in 2007, the school's Master of Science in Nursing program emphasizes theoretical knowledge, leadership development and advanced clinical practice. Most who apply to the program are already registered nurses. Nursing students at the school can specialize in trauma , cardiovascular and health policy nursing. Students applying to the school do not need to submit GRE scores.
Accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, Johns Hopkins University is located in Baltimore, Maryland. The program, ranked as the fourth best by "U.S. News & World Report" in 2007, offers a bachelor of science degree in nursing. The school has many options for accelerated nursing degrees, including nursing as a second bachelor's degree and a nursing bachelor's-to-master's degree. Typical coursework includes Health Assessment, Principles of Pharmacology and Nursing for Adult Physical Health. The bachelor's-to-master's degree can be completed in the same amount of time or less as a traditional bachelor's degree.
Located in Philadelphia, the University of Pennsylvania is an Ivy League university whose nursing school is accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. The program ranked third by "U.S. News & World Report" in 2007. The school offers a bachelor of science degree in nursing and an accelerated bachelor's degree in nursing for students who already have a bachelor's degree in another subject. Nursing students at the University of Pennsylvania take courses in the natural sciences, such as chemistry, microbiology and physiology, as well as courses dealing with the nursing profession, medical ethics and social problems in health and medicine.